President’s Office

“Marymount Manhattan College is a unique and magical place, offering the personal approach of a small college, a surprisingly diverse array of academic programs, and strong links to New York’s leading industries. Our students enjoy an unparalleled education enhanced by the limitless opportunities of one of the greatest cities on earth.” - President Kerry Walk, Ph.D.

Kerry Walk, Ph.D., is the eighth president of Marymount Manhattan College.

President Walk is a champion of student learning and success, with more than twenty years of experience as a higher education leader. Melding the liberal arts and sciences with the creative and performing arts, her academic and professional background fits well with the diverse and contemporary educational offerings at Marymount Manhattan College (MMC), a coeducational, nonsectarian college on New York City’s Upper East Side.

Before taking office on July 1, 2015, Dr. Walk served as Provost (2011–2014) and Interim President (2014–2015) of Otis College of Art and Design, in Los Angeles, where she advanced the institution through highly collaborative enrollment and fundraising efforts, a transformative campus expansion project, and a new five-year strategic plan. She also led major efforts to promote student learning and success, including a major revamping of college curricula and establishment of an international education center.

Prior to joining Otis, Dr. Walk held academic leadership positions at Harvard University (1993–2001), Princeton University (2001–2009), and Pitzer College (2009–2011), one of The Claremont Colleges. At Princeton, she built and directed the acclaimed interdisciplinary Princeton Writing Program, and at Pitzer she spearheaded successful strategic planning and reaccreditation efforts.

Kerry Walk earned her B.A. in English with honors from Wellesley College, where she received the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her contributions to campus life through theatre. She earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English Literature at the University of California, Berkeley, focusing her studies on English Renaissance literature and the Victorian novel.